The Secret Life of Kuwata Toki
by Dinette
Summary: Just a story about one of the lesser known characters in Slam Dunk...Nothing too major though.


[This can get confusing. If you must, see the explanation below, though try not to, it kind of gives the story a clinical feel to it. Or if you are longwinded and still confused, mail me. Do people read this? I don't.]  
  
The Secret Life of Kuwata Toki  
  
Kuwata Toki looked up, sweat dripping from the end of his nose. Softly, hazily in the background, he could hear the crowd chanting collectively "Ku- Wa-Ta, Ku-Wa-Ta, Ku-Wa-Ta!"  
  
It was the final match against the strongest team in the world. And also in the last thirty seconds. And just another point away from winning. And the ball was in the other team's possession.  
  
The team threw the ball, a high, impossibly perfect arc, almost reaching the next man when Kuwata intervened.  
  
As quick as the wind, as unobtrusive as a shadow, he slipped in and stole the ball. A roar grew from the spectators in a great roll, as they stood to their feet and stamped in approval.  
  
Ten more seconds.  
  
Just near the basket, the tank of a captain placed himself in front of him, his white teeth gleaming in a sharp contrast to his dark face.  
  
"Not gonna get by me, no you ain't," he drawled out, sweat drops rolling down his grinning face.  
  
Kuwata stared into his face, then gave a sudden grin.  
  
"Think again…" and jumped as the words faded away, from his tongue, as he did from the ground.  
  
Up, up and away, high, higher than the captain below him, and he brought the ball up and…  
  
  
  
"Kuwata…Kuwata Toki! What are you doing? You're dribbling too fast. You know that's not right." Ayako looked at the short freshman and hit him with her paper fan.  
  
"Honestly, you guys waste my efforts. I just taught you the basics to controlling the ball the other day. Start again, I'm going to train Sakuragi."  
  
Kuwata stared at his hands. "Oh-oh, yes. Control the ball. Right." He blew once on his hands and started again. Dribbling round the gym, round the courts, past the great double doors, where the bevy of Rukawa fan girls stood.  
  
  
  
…"Aiiieeee!!!!!" There was a mad rush as Kuwata, famous basketball star came out of the metal double doors. He frowned as they screamed out, professing their mad love for him. Tired of their incessant noise, he walked away where they could not follow, and down a dimly lighted alley.  
  
Pandemonium suddenly broke loose, shots were fired, and somewhere, a woman's scream rose above the bedlam.  
  
Suddenly the owner of the scream rushed towards him and fainted. Lovely and dark-haired, a single velvety-red rose in her hair as a sole tribute to her beauty, she reclined in his arms.  
  
Suddenly a burly man came up and began to try and strike at her savagely. Without letting go of her, Kuwata swung a fist at him, making sure it contacted and broke his jaw…  
  
  
  
"Practice end! Members dismissed!" Gori roared, and they all began to pack up. Going to the locker room, he tailed after Sakuragi and Miyagi, who were arguing who, had made he most number of shots during this practice.  
  
"Maa…maa…" Kogure, the peacemaker of the team, was trying his best to pour oil on troubled waters. But at the rate he had to do it, there would be an oil spill to rival that of the Exxon Valdez's. [1989]  
  
He turned, sighing, to Kuwata. "They're always fighting, aren't they?"  
  
Quietly, Kuwata nodded his assent, as Mitsui came up from behind them, and unceremoniously draped a sweaty towel over Kogure's head. "They can fight all they wish, but I'll still be the unacknowledged ace of Shohoku…"  
  
Just as silently, Rukawa tapped him on his shoulder. "Oi…"  
  
"Come on, I won that match fair and square…what? A rematch? No way. Why should I?"  
  
Removing the towel from his head, Kogure sighed as they joined the rest in the locker room. "And always about the same thing – who's the most important member on the team…"  
  
  
  
Kuwata, ace of team Japan, sat on the sidelines. Lazily lounging on the bench, his attitude represented that of a lethargic panther, power at rest.  
  
All around him, cheers and shouts were going up. The team was trailing, and desperately needed to make a good point. But they were playing against a rough team, a really rough one. And the referee was dead set biased against them.  
  
Just then, Ikashii, formerly a National High MVP, came groaning as he was substituted. "It's hell out there…" He'd sustained several back injuries, and those weren't the worst.  
  
Another player went out. There was nobody left to substitute. None but Kuwata…  
  
Stretching, he stood.  
  
"Don't." Ikashii said harshly. "The injuries could ruin your career. Let it be. We'll lose."  
  
"But I'm going anyway…" and with that, he stepped onto the court.  
  
  
  
"Oi! Kuwata, going my way?"  
  
"Oh, no. See you then."  
  
"Yeah, see you."  
  
Now where was he…  
  
  
  
He stepped onto the court. And a few minutes later, a heavy-set guy landed on his back. Gasping, as the searing pain swept through his spine, he stumbled to his feet.  
  
The big guy looked at him, sneering slightly. "You need to be substituted?"  
  
"No." Contemptuously, he waved the guy away. "No need for that." With the sweat pouring down his face, he was Kuwata Toki, undefeated to the last…  
  
  
  
Blankly, he looked up at the sky. "Oh." It had started to rain. He was nearly home now.  
  
  
  
Kuwata Toki undefeated to the last.  
  
  
  
  
  
Explanation:  
  
Okay, maybe you are confused. So I am good girl. I teach you.  
  
Basically, Kuwata Toki is a character in Slam Dunk. He's the shortest guy on the team (163) a freshman, and also is in awe of the rest. (Sakuragi, Mitsui, Miyagi…)  
  
So what I write is that he is his guy, kind of caught in his own little fantasy world and the real world. He sort of takes refuge in his daydreams.  
  
Do you kind of get what I was writing about now?  
  
No? Never mind.  
  
Yes? See, I told you I was a good teacher. (Haha) Inspiration points to James Thortburn or something like that. 


End file.
